Engineers Maintain Stability at Antarctica’s Neumayer III Base

The Neumayer III base in Antarctica is facing unique challenges as it grapples with the effects of climate change. With no sunlight for over two weeks, the base, which is crucial for scientific research, has to contend with the dangers of ice shelf disintegration and shifting ice. This has pushed the station over a foot closer to the coast of Antarctica.

Opened in 2009, Neumayer III is one of approximately 70 permanent research stations on the continent and serves as a home for researchers in fields such as meteorology and geophysics. The base sits on more than 650 feet of ice on the Ekstrom Ice Shelf, and its design reflects the harsh conditions that led to the abandonment of its predecessors, Neumayer Station and Neumayer Station II, in 1992 and 2008, respectively.

To combat the relentless environment, Neumayer III is elevated on 16 hydraulic stilts, which allow the 20,000-square-foot facility to remain above the shifting ice below. This engineering marvel is a testament to innovative design, enabling a permanent presence in one of the planet’s most inhospitable regions.

Thomas Schenk, a Swiss engineer and the technical lead at Neumayer III since 2024, provides insight into how the station is maintained. In a recently circulated video, he demonstrated the complex lifting system designed by the German engineering firm IgH. This system keeps the facility stable as the ice around it continually shifts.

Schenk explained the procedure, saying, “Everything here in Antarctica that isn’t built on rock will inevitably sink into the snow sooner or later.” His team regularly checks the alignment of the station to ensure it remains level. Each week, they adjust the structure, and occasionally, it requires lifting and realigning when one of the stilts shifts.

The video illustrates the careful process involved in maintaining the station’s stability. Schenk and his team first loosen horizontal brackets that secure the station against the surrounding snow. They then utilize hydraulic cylinders to lift each stilt, followed by using a snow blower to pack fresh snow underneath. Once the new snow is in place, the weight of the station is transferred back onto the leg, ensuring proper alignment.

Schenk noted that during the summer season, the entire base is raised by approximately 6.5 feet each year using a similar method. This meticulous approach highlights the ongoing efforts to adapt to climate impacts while continuing vital research in the region.

As climate change accelerates the melting of ice in Antarctica, the work being done at Neumayer III is increasingly important. The facility is not just a research hub; it represents human ingenuity in the face of nature’s challenges.